Rain on the radar

It might pay to keep your umbrella close by over the coming days, with rain set to creep in as the week progresses.

The ridge of high pressure that brought fine weather and light winds to much of New Zealand over the weekend is now departing slowly to the east.


Rain is forecast to set in from Wednesday. Photo: File.

This ushers in a period of north-westerlies, which will bring bursts of heavy rain and gales to parts of the country this week.

An active trough embedded in this north-west flow moves onto the lower South Island late on Tuesday, bringing rain to the West Coast.

'Before it completely loses its grip, the ridge dishes out mostly settled weather to the remainder of the country on Tuesday, although cloud and wind increase in the west of the North Island,” says MetService meteorologist Peter Little.

On Wednesday, rain becomes heavy on the West Coast as the trough moves slowly northwards, with significant spill over expected into the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, along with thunderstorms.

In addition, the north-west flow strengthens ahead of the trough with severe gales possible about exposed, eastern parts of the South Island.

The trough moves onto the North Island on Thursday, with a wet and windy day expected in many centres.

Tauranga, the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Coromandel are all forecast to see rain setting in from Wednesday afternoon onwards.

The bulk of the rain is set for Thursday and Friday for the three centres.

'The front remains active as it crosses the North Island,” says Peter, 'so it's likely that more areas will be added to the warnings and watches in the coming days.

'Despite the rain and wind it is looking like a warm week across the country, especially in the east of the North Island, where north-westerlies could push the mercury into the mid-twenties on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons."

Although the heavy rain eases over northern and western parts of the South Island behind this trough, the north-west flow prevails and a second front brings another burst of heavy rain to Fiordland and South Westland on Thursday.

It's not until Friday that there's a change to showery westerlies behind these troughs.

Looking further ahead, at this stage the north-westerlies return over the weekend for Mothers' Day on Sunday.

'This means it should be mostly fine, dry and mild in the east of both islands,” adds Peter. 'Increasing cloud and showers are expected in the west of the North Island.

'You may want to plan to do something indoors with Mum if you live in the west and far south of the South Island, as rain is forecast there".

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